Berachos 49b

ברכות מ״ט ע״ב

Berakhot 49b

Learn Berachos 49b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Forgotten additions in ברכת המזון and תפלה, the minimum amount for זימון, and the wording of זימון by group size

Overview

The amud opens in the middle of a story. רב נחמן forgot to mention שבת in ברכת המזון and went back to the beginning. Based on two rulings of רב, the rule is: if you have not yet started 'הטוב והמטיב', you add 'ברוך שנתן'; once you have started it, you restart. שמואל rules that forgetting ראש חודש requires repeating תפלה but not ברכת המזון. רב נחמן explains why: תפלה is a fixed obligation, while eating on ראש חודש is optional. On שבת and יום טוב, when eating is required, one does go back. Next the גמרא asks how much food makes a person part of a זימון, and settles an apparent contradiction between רבי מאיר and רבי יהודה (כזית vs. כביצה) in two ways: רבי יוחנן switches the names, and אביי says one argument comes from a פסוק and the other from logic. A new משנה lists how the זימון wording grows with the size of the group, with a dispute between רבי יוסי הגלילי, רבי עקיבא and רבי ישמעאל. The גמרא then brings שמואל's rule never to exclude yourself from the group, challenges it from the משנה's 'ברכו', and begins a new reading of the משנה that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (29)

1. Questionרב נחמן goes back, and גידל asks why
2. Responseרב נחמן's source: one who errs goes back to the start
3. ChallengeChallenge: רב also said to just add 'ברוך שנתן'
4. ResolutionResolution: it depends on whether you started 'הטוב והמטיב'
5. Statementשמואל: forgetting ראש חודש in תפלה vs. ברכת המזון
6. Questionרב אבין asks: why the difference?
7. Responseתפלה is an obligation; eating is optional
8. QuestionWhat about שבת and יום טוב, when eating is required?
9. ResponseYes, on שבת and יום טוב you restart
10. ChallengeBut רב also said to say 'ברוך שנתן'
11. ResolutionThe short blessing works only before 'הטוב והמטיב'
12. StatementNew topic: How much food is needed for a זימון
13. ChallengeDon't רבי מאיר and רבי יהודה hold the opposite elsewhere?
14. ProofThe source: someone who leaves Jerusalem holding holy meat
15. ProofIn that source, רבי מאיר says כביצה and רבי יהודה says כזית
16. Resolutionרבי יוחנן: the names are switched
17. Resolutionאביי: for זימון they argue about how to read a verse
18. Resolutionאביי: for returning holy meat they argue from logic
19. Statementמשנה: זימון wording with three people
20. Statementמשנה: זימון wording with ten people and more
21. StatementWording for one hundred and for one thousand people
22. StatementWording for ten thousand people
23. StatementThe group answers with the same wording
24. Statementרבי יוסי הגלילי: the wording follows the size of the crowd
25. Statementרבי עקיבא: the size of the crowd makes no difference
26. Statementרבי ישמעאל: add the word המבורך
27. StatementThe גמרא opens: never exclude yourself from the group
28. ChallengeOur משנה seems to have the leader leave himself out
29. ResolutionOpening of the answer: read the משנה differently